Lawyer, Inibehe Effiong sues A-Ibom Chief judge over ‘illegal detention’

The Lagos based lawyer has been in the Correctional facility in the past 21 days following order by the Chief Judge that he should be incarcerated over alleged contempt.

“It’s beyond imagination to see that the wilful refusal to release copies of the said proceedings has precariously affected and frustrated all material efforts made by Inibehe’s legal team to appeal against his conviction including his release from the prison custody.

“ By provision of section 36 (7) of the constitution cited above, the court is under duty to produce its order, judgement or proceedings within 7days of making same.”

The Chief Judge had committed Effiong to prison for one month over alleged rudeness while appearing in court for a case of defamation between governor Udom Emmanuel and a lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong.

Governor Emmanuel had dragged Barrister Ekpenyong to court over alleged defamation.

Ekpenyong had accused the governor of greasing the palms of the Chairman of the 2019 Election Petition Tribunal in the state, Justice W. O Akanbi so as to influence judgment in favour of the then PDP senatorial candidate, Obong Chris Ekpenyong.

The lawyer had alleged that the governor paid the princely sum of $1.4million to the tribunal chairman to ensure favourable judgement for Senator Chris Ekpenyong against his bitter rival, Senator Godswill Akpabio of the All Progressives Congress.